Tell us something….

[guerinfbfan]

Got another fun one. So it's the morning after prom my senior year at Guerin. We have a baseball DH that day starting at 9 am. Woof. I'm a utility player, but our starting catcher no shows. So I get tossed behind the plate after a long, sleepless night. First pitch I totally whiff on and it cracks the umpire in the wrist and shatters his watch. Needless to say, it was a rough day from that point on.

 

[colin2229]

Got another fun one. So it's the morning after prom my senior year at Guerin. We have a baseball DH that day starting at 9 am. Woof. I'm a utility player, but our starting catcher no shows. So I get tossed behind the plate after a long, sleepless night. First pitch I totally whiff on and it cracks the umpire in the wrist and shatters his watch. Needless to say, it was a rough day from that point on.

Hahahaha

 

[johnndoe]

Decades ago I "had words" with, a then young, Jim Rose from Channel 7 sports at Gately Stadium. He and a smallish crew were setting up in the press box at the expense of the regular P.A. announcer (older gentleman) who was working a big November Saturday Mt. Carmel home game. Rose was trying to throw his weight around to the dismay of myself and other irritated fans, not having any of his antics in trying to interfere with the announcer's work space. Rose proceeded to complain about his treatment, feeling that he was doing HS football fans a big favor by throwing some token coverage their way. Not the best look for the youthful Jim in this instance.

 

[Sparty Jones]

I met with Joe Namath as he walked through our Quad area in High School. He played for the Rams at the time and used our high school pool for his knees after practice. The Rams practiced across the street. At the time the practice field was called veterans stadium. Joe was a nice guy taking the time to talk to me about football and just chat.

Unlike Bobby Brady, you can tell your friends you knew him and be truthful

 

[USD24]

I caught a foul ball @ Wrigley in 2015. Giants vs. Cubs.

Selfishly, I kept the ball (youngsters to both sides) and received lots of dirty looks.

Cubs won 5-4.

A good day in my book.

Along those lines. I caught a foul ball in game 1 of the 2005 World Series off the bat of AJ Pierzinski. We were sitting right behind home plate about 25 rows up. He fouled one straight back and it just made it over the screen. I put my hand up and caught it. They lady behind me thanked me, it was gonna hit her right in the nose. I woke up the next day with a bruise on by hand and on my shins from the seat in front of me. The ball still sits in a case on my youngest son's dresser.

 

[MC63]

I raced after a foul ball at Wrigley one time and the Andy Frain usher/creeps took it from me. The ball went into a roped-off section that was closed to the public that day (due to low attendnace at the time). Miserable SOBs!

 

[Thedoctor50]

I caddied for Stan Mikita and George Blanda separately a few times. Both good tippers and very good golfers.

 

[FormerCrusaderNowHawk]

When I was a young kid, my parents took me to Platteville for Bears training camp. Back in those days it wasn’t this huge production as it is now. After practice, we were getting pictures of all the players – McMahon, Gault, Singletary, etc. we are getting ready to go and out of nowhere. This guy comes and puts his arm on my mom and says, “Hey, this looks like it would be a good picture!” And who was it but Walter Payton.

My dad snapped a picture, and we are on our way home. During the drive home, my dad admitted that there was no more film in the camera when he took the picture. I was too young to realize just why my mom was so furious.

Fast forward to me being a freshman at Holy Cross. Saint Viator varsity was playing at our stadium. We got back after our game in time to watch theirs. I told my mom to come and stay for the varsity game because there was a slight chance Walter Payne would be there. And there he was on the sidelines. Halftime came and I told her this is your chance. Just go and see what you can say to him.

She did just that. She walked the fence and called him over and apologize for bothering him during the game. She proceeded to tell him the entire story and they’ll laugh about it together and got a picture together. It still hangs on my parents fridge to this day.

He passed away less than a year after that. But when I think of athletes, and how they are personally, I can truly vouch for the fact that he was pretty amazing.

 

[4Afan]

When I was a young kid, my parents took me to Platteville for Bears training camp. Back in those days it wasn’t this huge production as it is now. After practice, we were getting pictures of all the players – McMahon, Gault, Singletary, etc. we are getting ready to go and out of nowhere. This guy comes and puts his arm on my mom and says, “Hey, this looks like it would be a good picture!” And who was it but Walter Payton.

My dad snapped a picture, and we are on our way home. During the drive home, my dad admitted that there was no more film in the camera when he took the picture. I was too young to realize just why my mom was so furious.

Fast forward to me being a freshman at Holy Cross. Saint Viator varsity was playing at our stadium. We got back after our game in time to watch theirs. I told my mom to come and stay for the varsity game because there was a slight chance Walter Payne would be there. And there he was on the sidelines. Halftime came and I told her this is your chance. Just go and see what you can say to him.

She did just that. She walked the fence and called him over and apologize for bothering him during the game. She proceeded to tell him the entire story and they’ll laugh about it together and got a picture together. It still hangs on my parents fridge to this day.

He passed away less than a year after that. But when I think of athletes, and how they are personally, I can truly vouch for the fact that he was pretty amazing.

There's a reason the NFL Man of the Year award is named after Walter. Always kind and willing to make time for fans.

All professional athletes, regardless of the sport, should be required to watch film of Walter Payton, the human, before they're allowed to interact with the public.

 

[Nevada Dude]

I long snapped a ball 57 yards in a game. My only miss in all my years of playing.

I was a Sr. In College. It was 4th and Goal from the 40 (yes… correct… two holding penalties put us there). The wind was blowing about 30mph in my face. I looked at the ball I was about to snap and called the Ref over. It was so flat and maybe 30 years old. The Ref said it was their call for the ball in play since they were receiving (I still don’t get it).

When I let the ball go, I immediately turned and ran. The ball flew over our punters head by a good 5 feet and kept sailing. I actually recovered the ball on our 3 yard line.

At least we held them to a field goal!

Meh!

 

[epicbret]

I was supposed to start at RB against LT [B team] as a freshman but was suspended for screaming "give me that f-ing Elmo" about a Tickle Me Elmo in the stands of the Sophomore game the Saturday before.

That was my one opportunity. Stuck on the defensive side for the next four years.

I couldn't catch [granted I also couldn't see] but I loved the feeling of trying to run people over, and thus regret my Elmo related outburst.

 

[ChiTown Chuggers]

I was kicked out of Aloha Stadium Dec 1st 1990 in the 4th Qtr for sitting 2 rows behind BYUs bench and heckling/yelling "Rocket Ismail should've won the Heisman...and you suck Detmer!!" as he threw 4 INTs in a Sr year loss to Hawaii.

 

[USD24]

My senior year, we had three guys on our pitching staff who would go on to pitch in the major leagues.

 

[crusader_of_90]

My senior year, we had three guys on our pitching staff that would go on to pitch in the major leagues.

We had three guys go from my little league age group and about a dozen in the minors.

 

[MC63]

Three guys from my intramural softball team at DePaul went on to become beer vendors.

 

[wm4]

I threw TD passes to Benet's Pat New in youth football. Dude was the fastest player in our league and it wasn't even close.

 

[sporthog9er]

It was late 2002 and I just turned 18. Our baseball team just lost an heartbreaker in 17 innings. A walk-off HR cleared LF and hit our coach's windshield. It was then I learned a very valuable lesson in life:

You can save a bunch of money by switching to Geico.

 

[olderbytheminute]

More than 50 years ago, I was a wrestler for three years in high school. I was B-cubed "Bad Beyond Belief" ... a total scrubini.
In those days, the weight classes were 165, 180 & Hwt. and I was moved around to fill a hole where the opposition didn't have a wrestler so I would win by forfeit.
In three seasons, my record not counting forfeit wins, was probably 1-15.
This is about the "1.'
The match was at Larkin High in Elgin and in those days, every competition started at 98 lbs. and finished at Hwt. so I was pretty much at the back end.
In my match, I somehow scored a reversal (two points) with like 7 seconds to go in the third period, then hung on for dear life to get a legit 3-2 victory.
All my teammates knew it was my first competitive win ever, and it would have made sense probably for the coach to name me meet MVP.
Except...
That day (in those days, there were 12 weight classes), the final team score of the match was I think 58-0.
The other 11 matches in the meet, my teammates all won by pinfall. I was the only one of 12 who didn't pin his opponent. So, on the bus during the ride home, instead of the coach recognizing me for a clutch late-match reversal to earn an important victory, he congratulated the team for the shutout, and pointed out that I was the one teammate who kept the squad from having a perfect 12-bout, 12-pin match.
What can you say? When you're bad, it even rains on the sunny days!

 

[Silver Rain]

I used to be a martial arts fanatic, trying all the various disciplines from Tai Kwon Do to MMA. Whenever I was driving around and spotted a martial arts studio, I'd go in and talk to the instructors to see what their setup was like. As I say, I was a fan.

One day I stopped into a place and this guy was working the heavy bag. He wasn't especially big or muscular, but he had perfect body mechanics, perfect alignment, and he could make that heavy bag double in on itself with a single punch. I was impressed. Some guys can't do that with a kick.

Anyway, a few months later, I signed up for one of those kickboxing tournaments that they used to have at St. Andrew's gym on Addison St. in the '90s. Right before my match, they introduced me to my opponent--and it was that guy, the guy with the killer punch. Well, I knew I was beat even before I got in the ring. And that's what happened. I got killed. I was bleeding all over place when the referee stopped the fight. I got stitched up, no worse for wear, and continued with the arts for 25 more years.

I was never very good, however, until I hooked up with a Chicago cop who upped my game considerably. This guy was a master instructor, a Rembrandt in the field, and I still bow to him when I see him in the neighborhood. The takeaway here is that one-on-one instruction is far better than group lessons.

 

[CCHS-Fan]

My senior year, we had three guys on our pitching staff who would go on to pitch in the major leagues.

I probably went something like 2-20 against those (3) (Bergman, Grace & Michalak) in my career @ CCHS, but my 'claim-to-fame' was homering against M. Grace in game (2) of a crazy DH in Joliet my Freshman year (spring of '85).
M. Grace would end up on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

I was hitting out of the (9) hole. I remember the at-bat like it was yesterday. I got into the box and Grace's first pitch almost hit me. That pitch had some insane velocity - I heard the ball as it buzzed me high and inside. I got 'juiced' with some emotion and confidently predicted he'd come right back with a straight ball, which he did. Insane velocity again, and I barreled it up. Over the fence in right center and I began my HR trot.

We won game (1) behind a tough performance by Scott Stahoviak, and battled in game (2), which felt like a scoring change every inning, only to be walked-off by a bomb from J. Lausch. I think it was a (3) bagger. I can still see that batted-ball launched - again, like it was yesterday - far over the fence in left field. Game over (15-14 if my memory servers me correctly).
One of the best DH's I ever played in, and it closed out our Freshman season. Finished 19-5 overall in a tough baseball conference. I believe we only had (1) out-of-conference loss.

Oddly enough, my brother (a Sophomore) went yard twice in the Sophomore DH against JC that same day, but they (Corsairs) got swept. A win at any level against JC baseball is a respectable win, IMO.

Also, the small town I grew up in had a phenomenal baseball team in '81. They made it downstate, but ran out of pitching. Pulled up a Sophomore (Ernie Prudhomme) for their AA quarter-final match only to be blanked 4-0 by JC and their stud M. Grant.
Great showing by the Wauconda Bulldogs. Town was going crazy.

 

[MC63]

(Bergman, Grace & Michalak)

Who, exactly. are these three guys?

I know that a guy named Dave Bergman grew up in Park Ridge, so I imagine he went to Maine South. As a Detroit Tiger, he was not a pitcher. Bergman's mother was my realtor).

I only know of one M. Grace in the majors and I never heard of him pitching for the Cubs. Who's your M. Grace?

Miichalak?

 

[CCHS-Fan]

My football locker my senior year was right next to a fellow teammate that would go on to have a 17 yr. NFL career.
He drove a '57 pink and white Oldsmobile to school his senior year.
He used to drive me home some days in that tank. Nice and comfortable, he could fully stretch his massive legs in the driver's seat.

And my uncle (a Des Plaines Detective) arrested John Wayne Gacy. He still gets calls from media outlets to do documentaries on that craziness.

 

[CCHS-Fan]

Who, exactly. are these three guys?

I know that a guy named Dave Bergman grew up in Park Ridge, so I imagine he went to Maine South. As a Detroit Tiger, he was not a pitcher. Bergman's mother was my realtor).

I only know of one M. Grace in the majors and I never heard of him pitching for the Cubs. Who's your M. Grace?

Miichalak?

Sean Bergman Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com

Check out the latest Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More of Sean Bergman. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, draft status, bats, throws, school and more on Baseball-reference.com

www.baseball-reference.com

Mike Grace Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com

Check out the latest Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More of Mike Grace. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, draft status, bats, throws, school and more on Baseball-reference.com

www.baseball-reference.com

Chris Michalak Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com

Check out the latest Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More of Chris Michalak. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, draft status, bats, throws, school and more on Baseball-reference.com

www.baseball-reference.com

 

[USD24]

I probably went something like 2-20 against those (3) (Bergman, Grace & Michalak) in my career @ CCHS, but my 'claim-to-fame' was homering against M. Grace in game (2) of a crazy DH in Joliet my Freshman year (spring of '85).
M. Grace would end up on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

I was hitting out of the (9) hole. I remember the at-bat like it was yesterday. I got into the box and Grace's first pitch almost hit me. That pitch had some insane velocity - I heard the ball as it buzzed me high and inside. I got 'juiced' with some emotion and confidently predicted he'd come right back with a straight ball, which he did. Insane velocity again, and I barreled it up. Over the fence in right center and I began my HR trot.

We won game (1) behind a tough performance by Scott Stahoviak, and battled in game (2), which felt like a scoring change every inning, only to be walked-off by a bomb from J. Lausch. I think it was a (3) bagger. I can still see that batted-ball launched - again, like it was yesterday - far over the fence in left field. Game over (15-14 if my memory servers me correctly).
One of the best DH's I ever played in, and it closed our our Freshman season. Finished 19-5 overall in a tough baseball conference. I believe we only had (1) out-of-conference loss.

Oddly enough, my brother (a Sophomore) went yard twice in the Sophomore DH against JC that same day, but they (Corsairs) got swept. A win at any level against JC baseball is a respectable win, IMO.

Also, the small town I grew up in had a phenomenal baseball team in '81. They made it downstate, but ran out of pitching. Pulled up a Sophomore (Ernie Prudhomme) for their AA quarter-final match only to be blanked 4-0 by JC and their stud M. Grant.
Great showing by the Wauconda Bulldogs. Town was going crazy.

I remember that double-header well, heck it was only 39 years ago. 🤣 We are old.

Grant was a stud. Ended up getting drafted 10th overall by the Giants later that year. He is also cousins with Michalak.

 

[USD24]

My football locker my senior year was right next to a fellow teammate that would go on to have a 17 yr. NFL career.
He drove a '57 pink and white Oldsmobile to school his senior year.
He used to drive me home some days in that tank. Nice and comfortable, he could fully stretch his massive legs in the driver's seat.

And my uncle (a Des Plaines Detective) arrested John Wayne Gacy. He still gets calls from medial outlets to do documentaries on that craziness.

That guy was a complete animal. I remember freshman year playing COM. I was the MLB and he was the fullback. I think he had 7 inches and 100 lbs on me. Needless to say, he ran me over more than once that Saturday morning.

 

[kpjasion]

I played catch one Saturday afternoon with multiple members of the 1984 World Champion Detroit Tigers. One of my little league coaches in 7th and 8th grade was Tigers first baseman Dave Bergman. Me and my friends ran down to the infield wall while players were warming up to say "Hi". He saw us and threw us a ball, intending for us to have it as a souvenir, but we thought he wanted to play catch so we threw it back. That started a round of catch with a group that included Dave, Kirk Gibson, Chet Lemon( who I'd already met in 1977), and Alan Trammel. At the end each of us got an autographed baseball with all their signatures. I still have mine til today.

 

[Sparty Jones]

Interned with the Cubs in 1990. Worked the All-Star game festivities at Navy Pier that year also.

Later worked for a sports marketing firm that did events like a kids camp with the Lions at the Silverdome. Barry signed a ball for me. Soon after put on a golf tournament for NFL alums before the Super Bowl in Phoenix.